


Love and Destroy

by wendywrites



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gangsters, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-12
Updated: 2014-10-12
Packaged: 2018-02-20 22:29:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2445443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wendywrites/pseuds/wendywrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>JB is an ex-gang leader who decided to leave the underworld and go legit in order to live happily with his dance teacher boyfriend, Jackson. Just when he gets comfortable and thinks everything is going well, Jackson is kidnapped. Someone from JB's past is determined to ruin everything for him at any cost, and Jaebum is forced to revisit a life he hoped he could leave behind in order to save Jackson.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love and Destroy

His vision is spinning and the back of his head feels like it’s been split open, but Jaebum ignores this and pushes himself to his feet–he’s dealt with worse injuries than this before. His feet start to move him forward on their own accord and it takes him a minute to realise he’s heading back towards Yugyeom’s apartment. It’s not long before Jaebum arrives–Yugyeom couldn’t bring himself to be too far away –and is pressing the buzzer, asking to be let in. Yugyeom gave him the code to his door, but his head hurts so much right now that he can’t remember it.

 

“Jaebum-hyung? What are you doing back so soon?” Jaebum hears Yugyeom mutter through the intercom before he opens the door.

 

 “Yugyeom, I need your help,” he says as he steps inside.

 

“What is it, Hyung-nim?” Yugyeom drops down on one knee with his head bowed.

 

Jaebum cringes. “It’s been three years, how have you not outgrown that yet? Come on, get up.”

 

“Sorry, I just can’t help it when you use that voice,” Yugyeom says sheepishly as he gets to his feet and guides Jaebum inside.

 

Jaebum was never comfortable with how much Yugyeom wanted to be accepted into his gang, how he followed them around and begged for them to let him stay. He was just a kid–and such a trusting and soft-hearted one at that. But he had nowhere else to go, so Jaebum looked after him, keeping him as far on the peripherals of the gang as he possibly could. Yugyeom’s official duties mostly consisted of things like cleaning and making tea, and he was never officially initiated him so that he wouldn’t have a record when he became an adult and Jaebum could make him leave.

 

When Jaebum officially resigned as leader and disbanded the gang, all of his subordinates were upset, but none more than Yugyeom who bowed his head to the ground and tearfully begged Jaebum to let him stay with him. The boy was still in high school, six months shy of his eighteenth birthday, and so Jaebum didn’t really have a choice. If Jaebum is honest with himself, he would have taken Yugyeom with him even if he were eighteen. At any rate, Jackson insisted that he stay with them.

 

“So what brings you back here and–oh crap, what happened to your head?” Yugyeom asks as he rushes to get a first aid kit and an ice pack and begins tending to Jaebum’s wounds.

 

“Where’s Jackson-hyung?”

 

“That’s why I’m here. I need you to contact Jinyoung. Jackson’s been taken.”

 

 

 

 

Jaebum has never been a huge fan of clubbing, but after the victory they’ve achieved today even he’s in the mood for a night out. Even so, he’s still trying to keep some of his wits about him, and isn’t getting completely wasted like half of his men seem to be trying to do.

 

“Oi, Leader, you’ve been sipping the same drink ever since we got here! You can let loose for one night, you know!” Jinyoung shouts over the music. He’s halfway there himself, judging by his unsteady movements and the enlarged size of his pupils.

 

“This is actually my second beer.”

 

“So boring,” Jinyoung rolls his eyes. “Anyway, the guys have been talking about checking out another club. Do you want to come with?”

 

“Nah, I’ll pass. I actually like the music the DJ here is playing, and I usually hate club songs. Better to stick with the devil you know, you know.”

 

“Alright, but, I ask that you at least drink this before I go. It would be a crime for you to not try at least one of the amazing cocktails they make here.” Jaebum is about to point out that committing crime is in his job description, when Jinyoung grabs the back of his neck and all but pours the drink down his throat.

 

“Jesus, what was in that, antifreeze?” Jaebum coughs.

 

“Try and have some fun for once,” Jinyoung calls out, patting his arm, before he dances away.

 

Jaebum shakes his head in an attempt to get his bearings back. He was already feeling warm from the collective body heat of the club’s patrons, but that drink felt like liquid fire as it went down his throat. He stumbles his way back to the bar in a bid to get some cold water to soothe his throat. He’s so intent on getting there that he ends up bumping into someone so hard they spill their drink all over their shirt.

 

“Hey, what the hell, man? You ought to watch where you’re going!” Jaebum throws a non-committal ‘Sorry’ over his shoulder as he pushes forward, still intent on reaching the bar.

 

“Hey! Don’t just walk away when people are talking to you! If you’re going to the bar, then you should at least have the decency to buy me another drink.”

 

“Yeah, sure,” Jaebum agrees, mostly to get the stranger out of his hair. When he pays for the replacement drink, he thinks the other man will leave to do whatever the hell he was doing before, but, to Jaebum’s surprise, he sticks around.

 

“Thanks for buying me a new drink, but now that I think about it, that’s not going to be enough,” the stranger says solemnly.

 

“The hell do you mean?”

 

“Well, my clothes are now wet and sticky thanks to you. You’re going to have to make up for that indignity too,” the stranger says pointedly.

 

“Do you want me to do your laundry?” Jaebum asks sarcastically before he takes another gulp of water.

 

“No, I want you to dance with me.” Jaebum blinks in surprise.

 

“I don’t dance.”

 

“Fair warning, you’ll probably save a lot of time and energy by just agreeing with me now. I can be  _very_  annoying when I put my mind to it.”

 

“I can believe that,” Jaebum says dryly; the stranger just grins widely.

 

“So, dance with me,” he says with an outstretched hand.

 

The combination of his overall good mood, the alcohol from the drink Jinyoung gave him and the twinkle in the other man’s eye make Jaebum shrug off his usual inhibitions. Why not? He finishes the rest of his water before he puts down the cup and takes the offered hand.

 

“I’m Jackson by the way,” he grins.

 

“Jaebum.”

 

“Jaebum, eh?” Jackson swirls the name around in his mouth.

 

Jaebum was kind of lying when he said he didn’t dance. He used to love dancing when he was younger, it was a great way to release his pent up frustrations and escape from the world for a few minutes at a time, but as he got more and more involved in the gang, he dropped it for kickboxing. At any rate, what he used to do is nothing like what Jackson is doing right now with his hips; b-boying isn’t exactly sensual.

 

“Come on, are you just going to stand there gawking at me, or are you going to dance with me?” Jackson goads as he rolls his hips.

 

Jaebum doesn’t need to be asked twice; he closes the gap between them, taking hold of Jackson’s hips and grinding into him. Jackson wraps his arms around Jaebum’s shoulders and throws his head back in a laugh; Jaebum is so close he can smell alcohol and citrus in his breath.

 

“What is it you were saying earlier, ‘I don’t dance’? Ha, what bullshit!” Jackson laughs.

 

Dancing with Jackson is a bit like riding a mechanical bull, he never stays still and he’s constantly changing directions, but Jaebum is stubborn and determined not to get thrown off.

 

 

 

 

Jaebum expected him to cry– he’s soft-hearted as ever even if he’s not a child anymore–or at least weep, but Yugyeom surprises him. He freezes in shock for a moment, but then he’s running off and coming back with a phone clutched in his hands; it’s the phone that Jinyoung gave him the day Jaebum dissolved the gang. Jaebum doesn’t know exactly how often Yugyeom and Jinyoung have communicated since then; he wonders, but he never asks and Yugyeom has never told.

 

“Hello, Yugyeom, what is it?”

 

Jaebum doesn’t know what he expected, but Jinyoung’s voice sounds exactly the same as it did the last time they spoke, three years ago. It makes Jaebum regret cutting him off entirely in his determination to leave everything about his past life behind. Jinyoung understood– he always seemed to understand Jaebum better than Jaebum–of course and he probably kept tabs on him through Yugyeom anyway.

 

“Jinyoung, it’s me.”

 

“Leader? What’s happened?”

 

Jaebum wishes he hadn’t distanced himself so much that a call from him could only mean something bad, but this isn’t the time for that.

 

“It’s Jackson—Uh, do you remember Jackson? We’re—er,”

 

“I know, I’ve always known.”

 

Of course he does.

 

“What happened to him?”

 

“Right. Well, he’s been abducted. He and I got jumped by some punks just now when we were coming home and they took him,” Jaebum runs his hand through his hair, wincing when he brushes the spot where he was hit. He’s still anxious about Jackson’s safety, but he’s thankful for the small mercy of not having to explain the nature of their relationship to Jinyoung.

 

“I’m guessing you don’t know who’s responsible.”

 

“No, I didn’t get a great look at their faces, but from what I saw I didn’t recognise either of the guys. All I know is that they were young. Fuck, I can’t believe I let myself get taken down by some brats who just learned to wipe their asses,” Jaebum swears.

 

“So, you don’t have any clues at all?” Jinyoung says imploringly; he always did know how to keep Jaebum on-track.

 

“They left me with a mobile phone, one of those cheap ones a pickpocket would ignore,” Jaebum says as he pulls the phone out of his pocket.

 

“Then they’ll probably call you later, possibly to deliver a ransom message,” Jinyoung reasons. “So, we need to be ready to trace the call.”

 

“Are you still in contact with Youngjae?”

 

Youngjae always liked to claim neutrality, would constantly whine about not being a member of his gang whenever Jaebum came to him for help, but he would help them all the same.

 

“Of course I am. It’s only you who pulled the Houdini act.”

 

Jaebum knows it’s not a reproach, but he winces a bit anyway.

 

“How fast can you get here? I’m at Yugyeom’s.”

  
  
“Already on my way. I’ll be there in ten.”

 

“Thank you, Jinyoung,” Jaebum breathes.

 

“No problem, Leader.” Jaebum can practically hear his smile through the phone.

 

 

 

 

Jaebum blearily opens his eyes, blinking a bit before he catapults up. Even though the mattress beneath him is soft, and there are no bars on the door, Jaebum has terrible associations with waking up in unfamiliar rooms.

 

“Oh, sorry, did I wake you?” A familiar voice calls from the right.

 

Jaebum turns to see Jackson–naked –going through what looks like a stretching routine. Jaebum can’t help but stare as memories of that body writhing beneath him flood his mind.

 

“Looks as though that’s not all I’ve woken,” Jackson says smugly, with a leer at the tent forming in the sheets.

 

“So be a man and take responsibility,” Jaebum challenges, leaning back to sit on his elbows.

 

“Hmmm, I’d love to, but if I do that now, I’ll be late for my morning clients, and I’m nothing if not professional,” Jackson says with feigned consideration.

 

“What do you do for a living?” Jaebum surprises himself by asking.

 

“I’m a dancer.”

 

“What, like a stripper?” It wouldn’t explain why he’s going to work so early in the morning, but it would certainly explain the moves he was doing last night.

 

“No, like a dance instructor,” Jackson snorts. “Hip-hop style.”

 

“Oh, that’s cool. Yugyeom would be jealous.”

 

“Who’s Yugyeom?”

 

Shit, this is one reason why Jaebum doesn’t do morning afters. It’s harder for him to keep his guard up and carefully screen what he wants to reveal about himself when he’s still half-asleep.

 

“My son,” Jaebum relies a bit unsurely, the words feeling strange in his mouth. It’s basically true, he’s taken care of Yugyeom like he was his own child, but it feels odd having to put a label to it for the first time.

 

“Oh you’ve got a kid? How old is he?” Jackson blinks in surprise.

 

“Seventeen.” He doesn’t realise his mistake until there’s a pause while Jackson stares at him, mid-stretch, with eyebrow’s raised disbelievingly at Jaebum. “Well, he’s not my son by blood. I took him in since he had nowhere else to go. I guess he’s more like my younger brother age-wise, but I guess I think of him more as my kid than my kid brother.” He’s rambling. Why is he rambling?

 

“Ahhh,” Jackson’s face clears in understanding, “that was really great of you to do. You sound like a really upstanding guy,” Jackson says as he shakes out his arms and legs.

 

“Yeah, that’s me alright,” Jaebum says dryly as he sits up.

 

“Well, anyway, from the look on your face when you woke up, I’m guessing you’re not the type to stay the whole night.”

 

“No, not really,” Jaebum says with a shrug.

 

“What makes me so special then?” Jackson winks.

 

“Nothing,” Jaebum scoffs, trying to hide the effect that little gesture had on him. It’s downright bizarre how cute he found it when, up until that point, he had only though of Jackson as a sexual being.

 

“Well, since you’re here, you might as well stay for breakfast,” Jackson grins.

 

Jaebum is about to turn him down when his stomach answers for him.

 

“Well that’s that then,” Jackson chuckles as he pulls on a pair of boxers and an old hoodie before he pads out of the room. Once he leaves, Jaebum digs through his clothes to find his phone and he sees a couple texts and missed calls from Jinyoung and Yugyeom.

 

“Ah shit,” he mutters as he dials Yugyeom’s number. He could just send Jinyoung a text informing him that he’s fine, but Yugyeom might not notice it and freak out when he wakes up and finds him gone.

 

“Hyung-nim? Why are you calling me?” Yugeyom croaks over the phone. Jaebum checks the time and sees that it’s 6:04 am.

 

“I’m just letting you know that I’m fine. I stayed out late last night and crashed somewhere else, but I’m not dead or anything. Now, go back to sleep, you’ve still got half an hour or so before you have to get up.”

 

“Alright,” he mumbles before the line goes dead. Jaebum sends him a text reiterating the fact that he’s safe just in case Yugyeom forgets their conversation by the time he wakes up properly.

 

“I don’t have a spare toothbrush, so you’ll have to make do with mouthwash only. After you’re done, you can take a seat at the table. I’ll soon be finished with breakfast,” Jackson calls out from the kitchen.

 

“Already?” Jaebum asks with some surprise.

 

“Yeah, omelettes are really quick to make and I’ve gotten pretty good at making them.”

 

“Why can’t I just use your toothbrush? I’ve already had your mouth all over me,” Jaebum says as he looks for the bathroom.

 

“That’s different!” Jackson squeals.

 

“Alright, alright,” Jaebum laughs to himself. After he’s done washing out his mouth, he sits down at the table, right when Jackson is laying two plates down.

 

“Oh, there’s no rice,” Jaebum says to himself as he looks at their plates.

 

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” Jackson punctuates his statement with a jab of his fork.

 

“I didn’t beg, you invited me to stay,” Jaebum points out before he takes a bite.

 

“And this is how you receive my hospitality?” Jackson tries to look offended but Jaebum can see the mirth shining in his eyes.

 

“Here’s a philosophical question: is it true hospitality if you made me accept it?” Jaebum snorts around another mouthful. He still wishes there was rice, but he has to admit that the omelette is good on its own. He can taste cheese, tomatoes, ham and onions.

 

“Ah, Jaebum, I see now that you skip the morning after because of your terrible manners,” Jackson says dramatically with a shake of his head.

 

Jaebum chuckles a bit. After spending so many years of his life living by a title–‘Hyung-nim’, ‘Boss’, ‘Leader’– it’s nice to just be ‘Jaebum’ for a little while.

 

 

 

 

“Leader, I’m here,” Jinyoung says as he enters.

 

The painkillers and ice has gone a long way in helping Jaebum realise that Jinyoung found his way here without directions and that he let himself in without needing to be buzzed in.

 

“Ah, they did get you good. So, even you can be caught off guard,” Jinyoung quips as he scans Jaebum’s head. It’s been three years, but Jinyoung hasn’t changed one bit; it’s strangely comforting.

 

“So which part of the city is Youngjae hiding out in now?”

 

“Man, you really are out of it. Youngjae isn’t even in Seoul anymore. Let me see that phone, by the way.”

 

Jaebum is equally surprised and unsurprised to hear that Youngjae fled Seoul. The only thing that could possibly parallel his intellect is his paranoia.

 

“Where did he go?” Jaebum asks as he hands the phone to Jinyoung.

 

“He moved out to Daegu not long after you left.”

 

“Wait, did you say Daegu? He’s all the way in  _Daegu_?”

 

“I didn’t say that, I said he moved to Daegu three years ago. He’s in Incehon now.”

 

Thinking about it, Jaebum is actually surprised that Jinyoung has managed to keep such close tabs on Youngjae for so long.

 

“What were you checking the phone for anyway?” Jaebum asks as Jinyoung hands him back the phone.

 

“Listening devices,” Jinyoung says simply.

 

Jaebum blinks. “Since you’re saying that out loud, I’m guessing you didn’t find any.” He must have been hit harder than he thought—or maybe he’s just gone soft—because that never even occurred to him. Jinyoung was always more tech-savy than him, but even he used to know to check a foreign object left by an enemy for bugs.

 

“They didn’t even try. Whoever’s behind this must be a complete rookie or have no resources to spare, and neither sounds like anyone still around who’d come after you,” Jinyoung says pensively.

 

“Well, let’s hurry up and get to Incheon before they call,” Jaebum says decisively. Jinyoung nods.

 

Jaebum gets up off the small sofa to put the ice pack back in the freezer. When he and Jinyoung are heading out the door, Jaebum is surprised to see Yugyeom following them. This is more involvement than Jaebum has ever allowed him in the past, but he figures that Youngjae’s place is probably even safer than his own home, so he doesn’t say anything. He instead turns his attention to the mobile phone. It’ll take them over an hour to get to Incheon, Jaebum hopes it doesn’t ring until they make it to Youngjae’s.

 

 

 

 

As he stands outside the building, Jaebum once again checks the business card the dancer gave him the last time they spoke to make sure he’s got the correct address. It’s highly unlikely he’s at the wrong place if the ‘Jig with Jackson’ sign go by. How many people named Jackson who own dance studios could there possibly be in Seoul?

 

“Come on, just do it,” Jaebum mutters to himself.

 

He’s been standing outside in the cold for about ten minutes, unsure about going in, but unwilling to run away. He doesn’t know why he’s so anxious about this; he’s walked into confrontations against people who were armed, what’s so difficult about going into a dance studio to get in an hour of exercise? Jaebum takes a deep breathing, releasing it through his nose, before he finally goes inside.

 

On entering, he finds himself in a corridor that opens into what looks like four different rooms, with a bathroom at the very end. All but one of the doors is closed, and so he makes his way towards the open door with light and sound drifting out of it. Inside the room, Jackson is doing what looks like a warm-up routine under bright fluorescent lights. Jackson isn’t even putting all his energy into it, but his movements are no less fluid now than they were at the club and Jaebum finds himself similarly entranced.

 

“Ah, Jaebum, you’re here. I was wondering if you were going to stand me up,” Jackson grins as he jogs over to Jaebum before pulling him into a hug. Jaebum is a bit startled at receiving such a warm greeting from someone he’s only met once, but he allows it.

 

“I was outside for a while actually; I thought the door was locked. Imagine how stupid I felt when I realised it was open,” he lies with a shrug. Jackson giggles and pulls him into the room by his arm. “Why wasn’t the door locked by the way? It’s pretty late you know and some criminal could just walk right in and rob you,” he says with a generous dose of irony.

 

“I guess I just feel comfortable with the area. I’ve been here for a few years and nothing’s happened yet. Besides, what kind of lousy thief would try to rob a dance studio of all things when there’s like a dozen convenience stores nearby?” Jackson says with a shrug.

 

“Fair enough,” Jaebum says as he strips off his jacket, drops his duffel bag and starts to warm up.

 

“Normally I lead my clients through a routine, but for the first lesson I like to see what they can do on their own. From the way you were dancing with me at the club, I must say I have some pretty high expectations,” Jackson says while wiggling his eyebrows.

 

“Anyone can grind,” Jaebum snorts. “I actually used to dance a lot when I was younger, but it wasn’t exactly hip-hop style.”

 

“Then show me what you used to do,” Jackson says encouragingly.

 

It’s been a while since Jaebum has let himself get caught up in b-boying, since he traded it for something that would better help save his life at work, but the feeling of exhilaration he gets now is the same as it was then. His body doesn’t move exactly the way it did back then, partially because he’s out of practice and partially due to the injuries he’s sustained since then, but he thinks he still manages to put on a half-decent show if Jackson’s cheers are anything to go by. By the time he’s finished he’s dripping sweat and his muscles ache, but they ache in a pleasant kind of way.

 

He pulls his water bottle out of his duffel bag and downs a few generous mouthfuls of water before he pulls his shirt off and uses his towel to dab the sweat off. As he does that, Jaebum takes notes of the way Jackson’s eyes rove over his chest, and it makes him feel smug until the other man opens his mouth.

 

“I see you’ve got quite a few scars on you. Do you wrestle lions for a living or something?” Jackson laughs a bit, but Jaebum can see that he’s actually a bit concerned.

 

“Or something,” Jaebum says vaguely, using the towel to hide the angry marks from Jackson’s prying eyes. “I was really hot-headed when I was a teenager, so I used to get into a lot of fights.” That’s actually true.

 

“A couple of those look pretty recent though,” Jackson points out, eyebrows furrowed as he continues to stare at what he can see of Jaebum’s chest.

 

“I’m less hot-headed now, but I still occasionally get into fights.”

 

“You seem so calm and level-headed that I never would have guessed,” Jackson says, looking surprised.

 

“In the last few years I’ve begun to realise how messed up I am, God I was a fucking mess when I was a teenager,” he says as he wipes his face. He’s not deliberately trying to scare Jackson away, but he’s not trying to avoid doing that either.

 

“Huh, it’s always the quiet ones. Anyway, you were so good that I don’t just want to teach you a routine. I think we should have a dance battle,” Jackson says with a flourish.

 

“That’s not exactly fair is it? You’re a professional and I’m an amateur—an out-of-practice amateur at that,” Jaebum snorts while pulling his damp shirt back on.

 

“It’s not a real competition, this is just for fun,” Jackson says slowly, as if explaining a difficult concept to a small child.

 

Jaebum throws his sweat-soaked towel at his face in retaliation.

 

“Oh that was just dirty, Jaebum. I was thinking of going easy on you, but get ready, because you’re about to get served!” Jackson calls out as he tosses the towel aside and goes to change the music.

 

“Bring it on then,” Jaebum laughs.

 

As he expects Jackson wipes the floor with him, but Jaebum enjoys dancing with him and watching the other man move so much that he doesn’t really care.

 

 

 

 

Jaebum knew that Youngjae liked to keep himself well-hidden, but it feels as though he’s upped his already ridiculous security measures in the three years Jaebum has been out of the game. He and Jinyoung used to refer to him as ‘The Mole’ whenever they mentioned him to their subordinates, but he didn’t think the guy would actually move underground.

 

“Are we even going to get a signal for this call?” Jaebum asks as they stumble blindly through the dark passage with nothing but a penlight to guide them. “Can he even get wi-fi down here? How does he function?”

 

“Don’t worry about that. He is a genius, remember? He knows how to configure these things,” Jinyoung says dismissively as he stops to help steady Yugyeom.

 

“Jesus, how did you even find him?”

 

“I found him because he let me find him.”

 

Eventually they make their way to an impenetrable-looking steel door. Jinyoung steps up to it and carries out a sequence of taps and knocks against it.

 

“Is that a secret code?” Yugyeom asks breathlessly.

 

“Hardly, he already knows we’re out here, but he insists on me playing along with his Secret Squirrel nonsense,” Jinyoung snorts. “It’s so childish, but then again he’s about the same age as you, so that’s to be expected.”

 

“You have got some nerve insulting me when you need my help, Park Jinyoung,” Youngjae prissily says as the door opens. Jaebum squints at the light that suddenly floods the passageway. “Im Jaebum, it’s been a while,” he nods before turning and walking further inside.

 

“Where are we?” Yugyeom asks as he looks around in wonder.

 

“It’s an old bomb shelter. No-one was using it, so I borrowed it,” Youngjae says with nonchalance.

 

Jaebum has to snort at the word ‘borrowed’. “This level of concealment is a bit much though, even for you,” he gestures around the place.

 

“Well, shit went down after you left, I thought it was better to be safe than sorry. So, what brings you here anyway?” Youngjae was never one for small talk.

 

“I need your help,” Jaebum starts.

 

“Obviously. With what?”

 

“Someone important to me has been abducted and I need your help to trace a call.”

 

“That’s it?” Youngjae asks, sounding disappointed.

 

Jaebum clenches his fists at his sides as he tells himself not to take a swing at the boy; he almost forgot how much his self-imposed isolation has affected his social skills.

 

“Has the call come in yet?”

 

“No, we’re still waiting,” Jinyoung speaks up.

 

“Alright, take a seat and don’t touch anything,” Youngjae calls over his shoulder as he walks into section.

 

“Wait, can you tell me what all this stuff does?” Yugyeom blurts out as he gestures to the various gadgets and devices in the shelter. Youngjae grins widely.

 

Jaebum throws himself down into a chair and pulls the phone out of his pocket, staring at it once again. Yungjae’s technobabble and Yugyeom’s interested noises gradually get fainter as they move to other sections of the shelter. Jaebum looks up when he feels a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Well find him,” Jinyoung says confidently.

 

Jaebum nods and goes back to staring at the phone.

 

 

 

 

It’s a rare night when Jaebum has gone with Jackson back to his place after one of their semi-regular dance sessions. The two of them are lounging in the living room while watching some ridiculous variety show. Jaebum’s head is resting in Jackson’s lap, their stomachs still pleasantly full of the ramyeon that Jackson whipped up earlier.

 

The combined sensations of the pleasant ache in his muscles, the breeze from the fan tickling his skin, the soothing motion of Jackson brushing his hair and the familiar, masculine scent emanating form the other man has Jaebum feeling something he hardly feels–peace. He’s so ridiculously comfortable that a question that’s been lurking at the back of his mind for weeks finally slips out of his mouth.

 

“What are we?”

 

“Human or dancer?”

 

It takes a minute for Jaebum to understand Jackson’s response, but when he does he pinches the other man in his side that’s still trembling from suppressed laughter.

 

“No, I mean really.” It’s not something they’ve talked about–up until now Jaebum has tried to avoid thinking about it–the two of them preferring to just  _be_ , but Jaebum finds that he’s really interested in Jackson’s answer.

 

“Well I’ve been referring to you as my boyfriend to my friends for a little while now, but that’s mostly a joke.”

 

“Mostly?” Jaebum asks as he stares up at Jackson’s face.

 

“More like partially,” Jackson corrects, fingers twiddling with Jaebum’s hair.

 

Jaebum raises an eyebrow.

 

“Okay, fine, I was being completely serious, but if you’re not cool with that I’ll stop,” Jackson shrugs, trying to look indifferent.

 

“No,” Jaebum says.

 

“Uh, alright then, I’ll set it straight with them.”

 

“No, I meant ‘No, I’m cool with it’,” Jaebum corrects.

 

“Oh. Ohhh, I see.” Jackson turns his head away, but Jaebum can still see his bright smile.

 

It’s a bad idea, getting attached to a civilian, but Jaebum decides to cross that bridge when he gets there. For now, he’ll just enjoy the feeling of Jackson’s thigh beneath his cheek and Jackson’s hands stroking his hair.

 

 

 

 

Now that they’ve tracked down Youngjae, the hardest part is waiting for the call to come in. Jinyoung keeps reassuring him that they’ll call–why else would they leave behind a phone? Jaebum believes so too, but every second that passes by is agonising. When the phone finally rings, he starts so hard he nearly drops it.

 

“Hello?” Jaebum asks tentatively with a glance at Youngjae who nods; the tracer is working.

 

“Jaebum...”

 

“Jackson!” Jaebum’s heart leaps into his throat. He’s so relieved to know for sure that Jackson is alive, but the other man sounds so weak. “Are you okay?” It’s a stupid question, but one that he needs to ask.

 

“’m okay, but I’m not happy. This surprise kidnapping service is the worst I’ve seen. When it happened to my friend from school he got a lap dance and a surprise birthday party out of it, but all I’ve got is a bleak room and a shiner,” Jackson tries to joke. It doesn’t really work, but Jaebum appreciates his efforts.

 

“Jackson-ah, have they hurt you?”

 

“Eh, don’t worry, it’s nothing serious. You’re not the only one who’s been in a fight before, you know.”

 

“Look, Jackson, it’s one thing to be brave, but don’t be stupid, yeah? I’m doing what I can to come and save you, so just keep your head down and don’t give them any reason to make your situation worse.”

 

“By that you mean ‘don’t be a mouthy little shit’, right?” Jackson says with a trace of humour in his voice.

 

“Right,” Jaebum confirms, with a hint of a smile on his face.

 

“I can’t make any promises, but I’ll try.”

 

“Just sit tight, I’ll come for you. I love you.” At any other time he’d be too embarrassed to say it in front of other people, but right now he doesn’t care.

 

“Oh this is getting  _oh so sweet_ , but I’m afraid I have to cut in here,” a new voice comes through the line.

 

“Who is this?” Jaebum asks, his guard immediately going up.

 

“Oh wow, Jaebum. I must say, that is disappointing,” The voice says glibly, “I know it’s been a while since you left the game, but I never thought you would forget the sound of my voice.” As he continues to talk, the voice starts to sound more and more familiar to Jaebum.

 

“Junho? Lee Junho is that you?”

 

“Junho is still alive?” Jinyoung says to himself in surprise.

 

“Ah, so good to know that you haven’t forgotten me,” Jaebum can practically hear the smirk distorting his face. “I was so disappointed to hear that you left the game before I could properly repay my debt to you.”

 

Shortly before Jaebum chose Jackson, one of his boys ended up crossing one of Junho’s boys. What started as two low-level grunts stepping on each other’s toes escalated rapidly, and ended up having a high body count. Jaebum’s group was hard hit, but Junho’s group was all but decimated. Jaebum left what remained of Junho’s group to lick his own wounds, but another group took advantage of their heavy losses and broke them entirely. Jaebum isn’t surprised Junho would come after him, but he’s surprised he didn’t just come and shoot him himself.

 

“Why are you doing this? If you knew where I lived, you could have come at any time and put the bullet in my head yourself. If you didn’t want to get your hands dirty, then one of your cronies could have done it. Why did you have to involve Jackson? Did you just forget what I look like or what?” He’s trying to keep him on the phone in the hopes that Youngjae has enough time to get a location, but he is honestly curious as well.

 

He gets laughter for a response.

 

“What? What’s so funny about what I said?” Jaebum asks through clenched teeth.

 

“Has civilian life softened you that much? Don’t you get it, Jaebum?  _I’m fucking with you_ ,” Junho croons, and Jaebum is so incensed that he could rip the skin off his own face.

 

“I’ve taken your little boyfriend because that is the worst thing that I could have done to you. I know you’ll come bursting through my front door sooner or later, but, in the meantime, I’ll enjoy myself with Jackson,” Junho says lightly before Jaebum hears Jackson hissing in pain in the background.

 

“You keep your filthy fucking hands off him! Do you hear me?! Don’t you fucking touch him!” Jaebum can’t see anything but red, can’t hear anything through the ringing in his ears, can’t feel anything but white hot rage.

 

“From the black eyes and broken noses my men came back with, it’s plain that he did not make his capture easy. I must commend you for choosing such a spirited one. He’s like a tiger in human form. Even now, he’s glaring at me defiantly. I wonder if I can break him before you come to save him,” Junho says lightly.

 

Jaebum can’t even form words anymore; all he can do is scream incoherent combinations of consonants and vowels until his voice breaks. He comes back to his senses a bit when he feels both his arms locked in a vice grip. Yugyeom is on his left, looking scared out of his mind, and Jinyoung is on his right, looking stern, but not without compassion. Jaebum moves the phone away from his ear as he takes several deep calming breaths.

 

“Whatever you do to him, I’ll do to you ten times worse,” Jaebum says at last, sounding much calmer than he feels.

 

“I look forward to it,” Junho chirps before the line goes dead.

 

“Fuck!” Jaebum hurls the phone across the room.

 

Yugyeom flinches but Jinyoung just levels him an unimpressed look. Jaebum knows that destroying the phone doesn’t help, and he certainly doesn’t feel any better, but he can’t act rationally while Jackson is being held god-knows-where with Junho doing god-knows-what to him. He grabs at his hair.

 

“Leader, you should probably step outside for some fresh air. Take some time to calm down a bit before we come up with our plan of action.” Jinyoung lays a hand on his shoulder and pushes him—gently, but firmly—to the door.

 

“Right, right,” Jaebum says faintly.

 

“I won’t tell you not to worry, but we will get him back,” Jinyoung says with quiet determination, and Jaebum smiles weakly; this is why he was Jaebum’s right-hand man and second-in-command.

 

“Thanks, Jinyoung.”

 

Jinyoung nods and leaves him to re-join Youngjae.

 

The air in the passage is stagnant, but it is cool. The heat coursing through Jaebum’s body dissipates somewhat, but the temperature does nothing to calm his mind. In fact, with him able to think more clearly, all he does is worry about Jackson. Is he cold? Is he hungry? Is Junho really going to torture him or was he just saying that to toy with Jaebum. Not for the first time, Jaebum regrets getting complacent and letting himself think they were safe, even for a second.

 

 

 

 

Jaebum fingers the pattered ceramic of the tea cup as he watches the steam rise from its contents. Jackson has been uncharacteristically quiet, but Jaebum can feel him staring at his down turned face. It’s only a matter of time before the silence is broken, but Jaebum isn’t in any hurry to have this conversation.

 

“So, let me get this straight. You show up at my doorstep–bleeding and bruised to fuck–after you skipped out on our date for like the fifth time, you forbid me from taking you to the hospital, refuse to tell me how you got in that state, and then finally you waste my hospitality by refusing to even drink the tea I’ve offered you? Im Jaebum, You are the worst boyfriend ever.”

 

Jaebum can tell Jackson is trying to keep his tone light, trying not to show exactly how fed up he is by the whole situation, but he can hear the cracks in his voice. Looking up at last, Jaebum sees the worry lines etched onto Jackson’s face, lines that Jaebum caused. It’s been at the back of his mind the ever since he met the dancer, but it’s at this moment that Jaebum realises how stupid and selfish he’s been acting, trying to have his cake and eat it. Despite however drawn he feels towards Jackson, he should have stayed away because all roads lead to this moment.

 

“You’re right, I am the worst. I think we should break up,” Jaebum rasps.

 

Jackson’s lovely brown eyes widening with shock and hurt is like a stab to the chest, but Jaebum keeps his face blank and doesn’t take the words back. This is his own fault; he shouldn’t have let this go on so long.

 

“What? No.  _No_. Don’t you fucking do that! Don’t shut me out like that!” Jackson starts off faintly, words barely audible, but by the time he finishes he’s shouting at the top of his voice.

 

“I’m here, Jaebum, I’m right here. So, just talk to me, yeah? Come on, man.” Jackson pries Jaebum’s hands off the tea cup and he holds them tightly. “Just tell me what’s wrong.”

 

Jaebum can’t help but squeeze Jackson’s hands in return, but he resolutely shakes his head; he can’t keep doing this. He’s thoroughly enjoyed the time he was able to steal with Jackson, but now he’s got to face the fact that they exist in completely different worlds, and it’s long past time for him to close the door between them.

 

“Jaebum, please.”

 

Jaebum has been through a lot in his time in his life, even before he started the gang, but having to pry his hands out of Jackson’s and walks away from him while ignoring his pleas is one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do.

 

 

 

 

“Okay, I’m as calm as I’ll ever be, did you get a trace on Jackson’s location?” Jaebum asks as he steps back inside.

 

“Yes, I was able to get the exact coordinates too. Apparently they’re by the coast in Ansan. I must say, even for an easy thing like tracing a call, it was amazingly easy to do–suspiciously easy, in fact. I’d say he wants you to find out where he is.”

 

“He did say he was looking forward to seeing me. He could be letting us trail him to make his wish come true that much sooner.”

 

“Or it could be a trap,” Jinyoung says prudently.

 

Jaebum takes a deep breath to keep himself from snapping at him—he’s only trying to help—before he says his next words.

 

“That’s true, but it’s our only lead on Jackson’s whereabouts, so we can’t not act it on it. We just have to be extra careful.”

 

Jinyoung looks like he wants to reply to that, but he just nods his agreement.

 

“Youngjae, I know you keep tabs on everything. Can you tell me how much manpower and firepower Junho’s packing these days?”

 

“Ever since his spat with you and his gang’s subsequent disbandment, he’s pretty much disappeared as far as I can tell. I wondered if he’d been killed, actually. You’d know even better than me how only the most clueless and desperate of kids would follow someone who had their whole crew annihilated, so I don’t think a rescue will be too difficult for you even with your limited resources.”

 

“Thanks for your help, Youngjae. I know you don’t like guns, but could I ask you to source some for me and Jinyoung? And some body armour would be great too.”

 

“What about me?” Yugyeom pipes up.

 

“What  _about_  you? You’re not coming with us.”

 

“What do you mean I’m not going? You came to me for help,” Yugyeom says incredulously.

 

“I came to you for help in finding Jinyoung. I’m not asking you to help me take down Junho.”

 

“You don’t have to ask, I’m offering. Even if Junho’s strength is weakened you could use all the help you can get.”

 

“Look, Yugyeom, I let you stay with me back then because you had nowhere else to go, but I kept you on the peripherals for a reason. I didn’t want you in harm’s way then and I certainly don’t now. You are not prepared for this.”

 

“So, you’re the only one allowed to make sacrifices and risk it all for the people he loves? I’m a man now, but I can’t decide that I want to risk my life to save Jackson-hyung?”

 

“Yugyeom,” Jaebum sighs in frustration, running his hand through his hair. He stares down the younger man, but Yugyeom simply stares back at him with steel in his eyes. Between Jackson being abducted and Yugyeom putting himself in danger to save him, this entire situation is his worst nightmare come true.

 

“Let him come.”

 

Jaebum throws Jinyoung an incredulous look.

 

“I’m not saying we give him a gun and have him storm the place with us, but Junho doesn’t know his face. He could create a diversion to draw out Junho’s cronies and make our job easier.”

 

“I can do it, Jabeum-hyung,” Yugyeom insists. Jaebum heaves a sigh.

 

“I don’t like this, but if that’s your decision as a man, then I’ll accept it.”

 

“Thank you,” Yugyeom says sincerely. Jaebum sighs again and hopes this decision doesn’t bite him in the ass.

 

 

 

 

Jaebum knows that Jackson is a very stubborn person, but it seems he underestimated how far his stubbornness goes. He knew Jackson wouldn’t be happy about Jaebum breaking up with no real explanation. He expected Jackson following him down to his car after he dropped the bomb, he expected the texts asking and demanding he fess up, but he didn’t expect Jinyoung entering his office and telling him someone named Jackson was demanding to speak with him.

 

“How did you get here?” On the outside Jaebum seems placid, but he’s screaming on the inside.

 

“I ran into some of your little grunts at a bar the other day. I didn’t know who they were at first, of course, but eventually I figured it out. They kept blabbing about how annoyed they were that ‘work’ was cutting into their time to get laid, how their girlfriends were getting frustrated with them. I didn’t really think anything of it until I noticed they all had some kind of bruise or cut on their faces, and then their situation started to seem strangely familiar.”

 

Jaebum presses his lips together in annoyance.

 

“So, I offered to buy them all a drink in commiseration. I took a risk and mentioned your name, saying you were a friend of mine who kept bailing on guys’ nights out and they asked, ‘You’re a friend of Hyung-nim?’”

 

Jaebum releases a sigh though his nose; this is exactly why he doesn’t like excessive drinking.

 

“So, this is your secret lair? I must admit, I am sorely disappointed,” Jackson says as he takes the seat in front of Jaebum’s desk, “I mean, where the hell is the shark tank or the lava pit? This is just a boring old office building. Lame.”

 

“My apologies; life in the underworld isn’t nearly as glamorous as television dramas would have you believe,” Jaebum says dryly, sitting tensely in his seat with his fists clenched on the desk in front of him. The Jaebum that watched ridiculous variety shows with his head in Jackson’s lap and the Jaebum that has bodies dumped in the river are so at odds with each other that he doesn’t know how to act now that these two sides of him are meeting. He tried so hard to keep them separate that every second Jackson is here feels like a slap in the face.

 

“So, you workaholic Korean people will choose work over a relationship even when the work’s illegal?” Jackson leans back in the chair and looks down his nose at Jaebum with a smirk on his face, but Jaebum can tell from the look in his eyes that he’s just as unsettled. At least Jaebum isn’t the only one completely out of his depth here.

 

“Jackson,” he sighs, searching for something to say.

 

“So, are you like the Godfather? What do you do exactly?”

 

“As I’ve told you before, I had it rough growing up. This,” Jaebum says with a hand gesturing to the room, “This started as a way to simply survive, but then it…expanded.” Jackson snorts without humour.

 

“I’m curious, have you ever tried to go legit? Ever even considered it? Surely, you don’t actually enjoy being a criminal?”

 

Jackson stares imploringly at Jaebum, and Jaebum wants to tell him that he’s considered it in the past, but never tried it because he always thought he was in too deep–was too hopeless–to become anything else, anything better. What he says is, “I made my choice when I broke up with you.”

 

Jaebum watches as Jackson sucks in a breath—his eyes take on that awful hurt look again—before he slowly releases it. Jaebum expects him to swear or rant or shout or say  _something_ , but Jackson just stares silently at him while biting his lips before he nods and gets up to leave. As he watches Jackson close the door behind him, Jaebum has to bite his tongue to make sure he doesn’t do something stupid, like tell him not to go.

 

“Leader, is it okay for him to just leave like that?” Jinyoung’s voice enters the room soon after Jackson has left.

 

“Don’t worry; he won’t give away our location.” Jackson might be angry with Jaebum, furious even, but he wouldn’t do that to him.

 

“That wasn’t what I meant,” Jinyoung says cryptically.

 

Jaebum looks up at him in question, but he’s already left the room.

 

 

 

 

“You might want to be careful so you don’t draw too much attention to yourselves, and I’m not talking about Junho. He’s not out in a secret hideout in the middle of nowhere, so you might not want to go shooting up the place,” Youngjae informs them as they’re getting ready to leave.

 

“If that’s the case, he probably isn’t packing much heat either,” Jinyoung reasons. “And if he’s near a town, Yugyeom’s diversion should be all the more effective. A random kid knocking on your door is much less suspicious when your door isn’t the only one for miles.”

 

“So, I’ll draw out Junho’s remaining men while you and Jaebum-hyung go in and rescue Jackson-hyung?”

 

“How are you going to do that?” Youngjae questions him.

 

“I could knock on the door and pretend I need help because…because my pregnant mother is going into labour and our car broke down on the way to the hospital.”

 

“And, of course, you don’t have a phone you can use to call an ambulance,” Youngjae says dryly.

 

“Of course I do, but the battery is dead, or I can’t get a signal or I didn’t think of that because my mother is in labour and I’m panicking,” Yugyeom says defensively.

 

“Yes, your mother that’s either invisible or not in the car. They presumably aren’t blind and will notice that.”

 

“If I’ve gotten them to the car, then I’ve done my job. I’ll deal with whatever happens next after I get to that point. Anyway, that’s just the first thing I could think of. I’ve got at least an hour to think of something else.”

 

“Don’t be sour with me; I’m just trying to help you. At any rate, your idea wasn’t bad, you just need someone else to help you pull it off.”

 

“And?” Jinyoung prompts. Youngjae likes people to express interest in his ideas before he reveals them.

 

“And I know someone who may be able to help you, but only with that. He’s a bit of a thrill seeker and is willing to get more involved in these kinds of things than I ever would, but he too has his limits. His name is Bambam.”

 

“Bambam?” Jaebum snorts disbelievingly.

 

“It’s not his real name, obviously. I don’t know why he chose such an odd name to go by, but maybe I’m just boring for going with plain, old ‘Youngjae’,” he muses.

 

Given the boy’s extreme paranoia, Jaebum has occasionally wondered if that was indeed his real name.

 

“I’ll get in touch with him and tell him where you’re going. He’ll meet you in Ansan and take it from there.”

 

“Well, that’s that then; let’s go. Thanks again, Youngjae.”

 

“Try not to get killed,” Youngjae waves them goodbye.

 

Even with someone to help him, Jaebum isn’t any less unhappy about Yugyeom being involved, but when gets back to Jinyoung’s car he closes his eyes and tries to clear his mind of such thoughts, of any thoughts. It’s late and he might have a concussion, but he can’t bear to wait any longer while Jackson is still in trouble. So, he leans his head on the window and tries to get some rest while Jinyoung drives them to Ansan.

 

 

 

 

He’s significantly less injured than the last time he crawled his way here, but the trip takes even more out of him because he very well might not even be welcome anymore. Jackson’s car wasn’t in the car park, so Jaebum will have to wait for god knows how long outside his door before he even knows that much. Just as he’s about to ease into a crouch, he pauses at the keypad by the door. Jackson had given him the pass code when they were dating, but surely he’s changed it since then. If not after the initial break up then definitely after he found out about what Jaebum does for a living. It’s ridiculous to even try, to even hope, but Jaebum finds his hand hovering over the keypad before he punches in ‘0258’.

 

He’s stunned at the green flash of light and the door handle moving under his hand to let Jaebum inside the one place where Jaebum was able to leave his baggage behind and feel like a human being. He tentatively steps inside and closes the door behind him. He hovers uncertainly by the entrance for a moment before he shakes himself; he’s seen people die, he shouldn’t be so shaken up by trespassing.

 

He still can’t bring himself to explore the rest of the place like he wants to, but he makes himself comfortable in the living room, looking around to see what changes Jackson made to it. With the exception of a lamp and some cushions that Jaebum doesn’t recognise, nothing has changed. That’s not surprising; the dancer was never really one for interior decorating. Jaebum places one of the cushions on the floor and lays his head on it, closing his eyes as he breathes slowly, feeling comfortable for the first time in weeks.

 

 

Jaebum’s eyes fly open at the sound of a crash. He sits up quickly, wincing immediately, to see Jackson standing by the door with two plastic bags that once contained food lying by his feet.

 

“Jaebum?! What are you doing here?” Jackson asks with wide eyes.

 

“I want out,” he says simply.

 

“What?” Jackson takes a tentative step towards him.

 

“I want out of the gang. I’m choosing you like I actually wanted to.”

 

“Jaebum…” Jackson creeps forward until Jaebum can almost reach out and touch him.

 

“I was an idiot for not doing this sooner. Shit, you might have even moved on by now, but I had to see if—” he’s cut off by a cushion hitting him in the head.

 

“You asshole! So, you lie to me for ages and then suddenly drop me like a bad habit, and now you want to come crawling back? Who says I even want you back?”

 

Jaebum grabs the cushion, wrestles it out of Jackson’s hands and tosses it aside before he grabs the other man and pins him to the floor. He was so uncertain about coming here, but seeing Jackson again, hearing his voice, has hardened Jaebum’s resolve.

 

“I wasn’t living when we met. Sure I thought I was living—I ate and drank and slept and occasionally got my dick wet—but I was just existing. I’d been dead on the inside for years, but then I tasted what being alive felt like with you.” Jaebum leans down and claims Jackson’s lips in a fierce kiss. He has no idea how or why he walked away from this before, but he’s never going to be that stupid again.

 

“I’m done with all that now; with the constant fighting and spending my life wondering when some punk is finally going to jump me and give me the wound I don’t recover from. You’re the only thing I want.” When Jaebum kisses him again, he wraps his tongue around Jackson’s, as if to impart the words onto it.

 

“And what would you do if I tell you I’ve found someone else? Put a hit on him?” Jackson pants, his hat knocked off his head and his face beautifully flushed.

 

“Didn’t you hear? I’ve gone legit; I don’t do that shit anymore. I’ll fight for you the old fashioned way,” Jaebum smirks down at him before he leans down again. Jackson opens his legs and wraps them around Jaebum’s waist, grinding up and Jaebum grinds down, before he starts attacking his coat.

 

 

“This should be obvious by now, but I didn’t find anyone else. I tried, but I was frustratingly hung up on some asshole that dumped me,” Jackson mumbles before he pinches the skin at Jaebum’s side.

 

Jaebum smiles a bit but doesn’t say anything in reply.

 

“You’ve gone too quiet, I don’t like that. I can practically hear you thinking, and the last time that happened, you decided to dump me.”

 

Jackson rolls on top of Jaebum and digs his chin into his chest. Jaebum’s arms automatically wrap around him and he pulls Jackson up so he can kiss his lips. Jackson’s eyes are all Jaebum can see, all he ever wants to see again.

 

“Come on, tell me what’s on your mind. If this is going to work, you can’t shut me out again.”

 

Jaebum takes a deep breath.

 

“I meant what I said about wanting to live with you, but I guess I’m worried actually doing it. I’ve made quite a few enemies in my time; if any of them found out about you, they could try to hurt you to get back at me. It’s part of the reason why I broke up with you before,” Jaebum confesses as he strokes Jackson’s sweaty locks.

 

“How very Spiderman of you,” Jackson drawls.

 

“Doesn’t it scare you?” Jaebum asks incredulously. “The injuries you saw me with that time were nowhere near the worst I’ve ever had, and I had a dozen other guys to back me up when I got them.”

 

“I’m not saying it doesn’t freak me out at all, because it does, but I’ll take the risk of something maybe happening over definitely being miserable without you,” Jackson says seriously.

 

Jaebum tightens his hold on Jackson, who drops his head to leave a kiss on Jaebum’s chest.

 

“Now, then, I’m curious about what your new profession will be. Will you rekindle your childhood dream of being a fire fighter?”

 

Jaebum smiles slightly, appreciating the subject change, but he still can’t extinguish the worry in his mind.

 

“After all the battering my body has gotten over the years, I’d rather not do anything too physical, but I’ve got no qualifications so I may not have a choice,” Jaebum sighs.

 

“Well, you might have to start out doing that, but you could study in the meantime or learn a trade. You can do it. I believe in you.” Jackson kisses his chest again.

 

“Thank you, Jackson-ah,” Jaebum smiles as he brushes a smooth cheek with the pad of his thumb.

 

 

 

 

When the car stops moving and the thrumming of the engine cuts out, Jaebum finally opens his eyes. Sitting up, he rubs his eyes and lets out a yawn. He didn’t really get to rest much, but there’s nothing that can be done about that now. He checks the backseat and sees that Yugyeom is wide awake and staring out the window.

 

“So, what do we do now? Youngjae said Bambam was supposed to meet us, right? Did we beat him here or—Gah!” Jaebum jumps as a mangled face smashes into his window.

 

“Hahahaha! That never gets old!” The mangled face—a rubber mask—is pulled off to reveal the laughing face of a kid with bleached hair.

 

“Don’t tell me,” Jaebum groans, rubbing his temples with his fingers.

 

“You must be Bambam,” Jinyoung ventures as he powers down Jaebum’s window.

 

“Yes, indeed,” the blond grins widely. “And you must be Jaebum, Jinyoung, and Yugyeom,” he says, gesturing to them in turn.

 

Jaebum sighs. Part of him wants to question whether this joker will be of any real help to them, but if he’s in the same league as Youngjae, then he’s got to be competent. Indeed if he’s anything at all like Youngjae then he will be incredibly helpful, so long as Jaebum can keep himself from strangling him.

 

“How are you going to help me, Bambam?”

 

“Despite my wish to be manly, my body is very slender and feminine-looking. Much as it pains me, I’m going to make myself up to look like a woman to aid your little charade. Luckily for you, I also have a secret weapon that will make the whole thing ridiculously easy,” Bambam cackles.

 

“What’s that?” Yugyeom asks.

 

“If I told you, then it wouldn’t be a secret, now would it?” Bambam crosses his arms and tilts his head to the side.

 

“I suppose not,” Yugyeom says unsurely.

 

“But! I like your face. So, I’ll do better than just tell you: I’ll give you a demonstration.” Before anyone can say ‘what’, Bambam whips out a spray bottle from under the sleeve of his hoodie and sprays the contents in Jabeum’s nostrils.

 

“What the fuck, man?” Jaebum sneezes and rubs his nose.

 

It's not long before his eyelids start to feel really heavy. Hell, his entire head feels too heavy to be supported by his body.

 

“What did you do to me?” he asks before he slumps forward.

 

 

 

 

“This is alright, right?” Jaebum knows he sounds like a broken record, but he can’t help it. Jackson readily agreed to have Yugyeom move in with him as well—insisted on it, really—but he’s worried Jackson might come to think he’s bitten off more than he can chew.

 

“For the millionth time, yes. The next time you ask that, I’m just gonna ignore you,” Jackson calls over his shoulder before he turns to continue helping Yugyeom get settled into his new room. “The room is pretty small to begin with and you’re so tall, it probably feels really cramped to you,” Jackson says apologetically.

 

“I didn’t have any home before I met Jaebum-hyung, I could never be so ungrateful as to complain about having a roof over my head,” Yugyeom says solemnly, “Besides, it’s cosy. I like it.”

 

“So, what are you thinking of doing after you graduate high school?”

 

“I’m not sure. My grades aren’t good enough for me to get into a good university, and there’s not any particular subject that I really like anyway,” Yugyeom says with a shrug.

 

“Well, I run a dance studio. Can you dance?”

 

“Uh, yeah, I suppose I’m pretty good at dancing. I don’t have any formal training though. What style of dance do you teach by the way?” Yugyeom asks as he fiddles with the hem of his shirt.

 

“I teach hip-hop style, and don’t worry about qualifications. Just let me see a demonstration of what you can do.”

 

Jaebum sees the boy’s eyes widen a bit with excitement as he turns to him, silently seeking permission. Jaebum nods and gestures for him to go ahead. Yugyeom starts off a bit shyly, but when Jackson pulls up some music on his phone and jumps up to start dancing with him, he starts to throw himself into it.

 

“Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about. Go, go, go, go! Come on, lemme see you dougie.”

 

“Wah, you’re really good Jackson-hyung!”

 

“Of course I am,” Jackson grins, “And you’re not half-bad yourself. Congratulations, you’re hired!”

 

“Really? You mean it?” Yugyeom’s eyes bug out.

 

“Yup, you can start off as an assistant instructor on a part time basis, helping me out after school and on weekends, and after you graduate, you can work full time.”

 

Yugyeom turns to Jaebum.

 

“It’s your decision to make,” Jaebum says. He’s been making decisions for the boy for a while now, but he’s at the age where he needs to be figuring out certain things for himself.

 

“That–that sounds great! Thank you Jackson-hyung,” Yugyeom bows.

 

“Excellent! With this and Jaebum starting at the bookshop, we’re now all gainfully employed. This calls for a celebration. Let’s go out for dinner. My treat!”

 

“That sounds great, but can we go to a different part of the city?” Jaebum asks, giving Jackson a meaningful glance.

 

Jackson gets a look in his eye like he wants to refuse, but he just nods in concession. Jaebum releases a breath he didn’t know he was holding. It’s not like it’s impossible for them to be spotted by one of his enemies in a different part of Seoul, but it’s a bit less likely. In fact, he should try to see if he can convince Jackson into moving. He probably won’t be able to get Jackson to move as far as Busan because of his business, but they should relocate to somewhere else in Seoul at the very least. Just in case.

 

 

 

 

Jaebum blinks open his eyes. The sky looks lighter than the last time he saw it. He frowns and turns his head. No-one else seems to be in the car with him, which is strange if his memory is correct. He’s at least sure he didn’t drive here.

 

“Ah, you’re awake. That’s good timing.”

 

Jaebum turns his head to see a strange, young blonde walking up to his window.

 

“Excuse me miss, have you seen my friend?”

 

“Well, the reaction time to the spray was excellent, but he’s expressing a lot more disorientation than I wanted. Luckily, I am a genius and so I prepared for this.” The blonde takes a spray bottle from her bag and sprays the contents up Jaebum’s nostrils.

 

“How is Jaebum-hyung doing?” a concerned voice asks.

 

“Wait for it…”

 

Jaebum blinks rapidly and shakes his head. “What–what the fuck did you do to me, kid?”

 

“And there it is!” Bambam says with a flourish. “My secret weapon! It’s still experimental, but it looks like it will work just fine.”

 

“How long was I out for?” Jaebum asks tiredly.

 

“About four hours,” Bambam says casually.

 

“Four hours?! Are you kidding me?!”

 

“It was necessary. You looked dead on your feet, and you would be if I had let you go in when you were in that state.”

 

Even if he has half a point, Jaebum is finding it difficult to not reach out the window and wring his neck for slipping him a roofie.

 

“What’s done is done, Leader. Now that you’re awake, we can focus on saving Jackson,” Jinyoung says reasonably.

 

“Alright, we need to get the car a bit closer to where Junho is hiding and then you two need to scram. Yugeyom will draw them out and we’ll disable them.”

 

“After you do that, stay by the car, okay?” He looks at both of them, but he’s mostly talking to Yugyeom.

 

“Yes, hyung,” Yugyeom mumbles reluctantly.

 

“Good, now let’s go.”

 

 

 

 

“Do you want to know why today isn’t our real anniversary?” Jaebum asks.

 

“No, I don’t. Because it so is our anniversary,” Jackson says stubbornly.

 

“Then why is Yugyeom having dinner with us?”

 

“Lots of people take their kids out to dinner with them,” Jackson protests, looking offended on said child’s behalf. Yugyeom isn’t paying them any attention though, he’s took busy tucking into his food.

 

“Some do, I’ll grant you that, but they mostly do it because the kid is too young to watch themselves for two hours and they can’t find a babysitter. Yugyeom is a legal adult now, so we didn’t need to take him with us. However, we were alone for dinner in June because that’s when our real anniversary is,” Jaebum declares.

 

Jackson levels a pout at him.

 

“I really don’t know why you two insist on fighting about this when you celebrate both days anyway. The Queen of England has two birthdays, you can have two anniversaries,” Yugyeom looks up from his food at last.

 

“So the 22nd of June is our official anniversary and the 16th of April is our actual anniversary?” Jackson says to himself.

 

“Shouldn’t that be the other way around?” Jaebum can’t help but tease.

 

“Im Jaebum, I don’t care how many underlings you used to command, I am not afraid to fight you,” Jackson says, feigning seriousness.

 

Jaebum can’t stop himself from turning his head to look around the restaurant, but no-one reacts. Of course they don’t. Seoul is a big city, and it’s not like he’s seen any signs of anyone with a grudge out to get him. Still, he doesn’t think he’ll ever truly relax.

 

“Try it then. You and I both know I’ll win,” Jaebum says huskily with a smirk.

 

“Maybe, but I’ll give you hell before I go down,” Jackson says with a matching smirk.

 

“I hope so.”

 

“Jaebum-hyung, Jackson-hyung, please!”

 

“Oh no, we scarred the baby. Do forgive me,” Jackson whines as he hugs Yugyeom around the waist and lays his head on his shoulder. 

 

Yugyeom melts immediately. “Alright, fine, but save that kind of talk for when I’m not around,” he pouts.

 

“I won’t make any promises, but I’ll try.”

 

“Jackson-hyung, remember what you told me? Do or don’t; there is no ‘try’,” Yugyeom says solemnly.

 

“Alright then, I won’t,” Jackson cackles.

 

As he watches the two of them Jaebum feels a smile light his face. It’s been 365 days without an incident and he’s enjoyed every single one of them. Not too long ago he thought it would be impossible for him to fully adapt to civilian life, but now he can’t imagine going back to what he was before. He hopes he never has to.

 

 

 

 

About ten minutes later, the car stops about two hundred meters away from Junho’s hideout, a beach house near the sea. Bambam checks that his fake belly is firmly in place before he gives the thumbs up and signals for Jaebum and Jinyoung to get out of the car.

 

“There are no bushes, so you’ll have to get near to the house, but away from any windows. When we get the men to leave, wait ten seconds before you go in.”

 

Jaebum wants to tell him that he has done a raid before in his life, but he lets it go and does as Bambam says. He and Jinyoung get in place, and then Yugyeom is running up to the door, pounding wildly on it and begging for help. Jaebum’s actually surprised at how convincing the boy sounds. Idly he wonders whether dance was really his true calling.

 

“Somebody, please! I need help! It’s my mother! I need to get her to a hospital!”

 

“Why are you making so much noise out here, brat?” a man who sounds maybe two years older than Yugyeom snorts derisively.

 

“My mother’s pregnant and going into labour, but our car won’t start. Please, I’m begging you.”

 

“Has her water broken?” a man who sounds even younger than Yugyeom asks with concern.

 

“Yes, it happened just now.”

 

As if on cue, Bambam lets out a pained wail and stumbles out of the car.

 

“Please, my phone is dead and I don’t know what to do. Can we come inside and wait for help.”

 

“No, you can’t.” The first voice says firmly.

 

“Will you not help me at all?” Yugyeom asks tearfully as Bambam continues to wail.

 

“Come on, hyung. Let’s at least go and give the lady a hand. We can’t just do nothing,” the second voice insists.

 

“Alright,” the first one says with a long-suffering sigh. “Nothing’s happening here anyway.”

 

Jaebum peaks around the side of the house and watches as the two men follow Yugyeom to where Bambam is pacing with a hand on his fake belly. With them gone, Jaebum and Jinyoung carefully make their way inside. The place itself is pretty small, but that just means that there are fewer places that they’ll have to check. They head out into the living room and notice that it opens up into a hallway on two sides. It was standard protocol for them to stick together rather than split up, but he’s asks Jinyoung via their hand sign anyway. As he expected, Jinyoung signs for them to stay together.

 

‘Left or right?’ Jaebum signs next.

 

‘Right, I see blood.’

 

Jaebum tightens the hold he has on his knife before he nods and heads off to the right. There are three doors that Jackson could possibly be behind, but Jinyoung points out a trail of blood that leads to the second one. Jaebum slowly turns the knob and pushes the door open. He’s greeted with the sight of Jackson dangling from the ceiling by a rope tied around his hands. Jackson has pulled himself up, presumably to breathe, but it’s not long before his arms give out and he drops down.

 

“Jae,” he breathes weakly.

 

“Jackson!” Jaebum rushes into the room, eyes focused on Jackson.

 

“Leader!” Jinyoung shouts before the gun is fired.

 

 

 

 

“I still can’t believe Yugyeom’s moved out and living on his own now. And did you see the looks he was giving Yerin? My god, they grow up so fast. We should have another one,” Jackson chatters happily as they’re walking home from the late house-warming get-together they had with Yugyeom.

 

It’s such a lovely night that Jaebum finds himself wishing they didn’t live in the city so he could clearly see the stars twinkling in the sky. The alcohol he had at Yugyeom’s party must be affecting him more than he thought, because he catches himself glancing at the man by his side and thinking that it doesn’t matter because he can see the stars in Jackson’s smile. It’s so disgustingly romantic that Jaebum refuses to believe it came from him.

 

“You’re too quiet over there, what are you thinking about?” Jackson asks with a tug at their joined hands.

 

“Nothing, really,”

 

“Jaebum, that wasn’t the deal,” Jackson says pointedly.

 

“Really, I was just thinking that I like your smile,” Jaebum shrugs. To his surprise, Jackson smiles shyly and turns his head away as his cheeks turn pink. The sight only makes Jaebum think even more sickeningly sweet things. He cups Jackson’s face and thumbs his cheek where it’s turning pink before he leans in and kisses him.

 

“I like where this is going, but can we save it until we get inside? I’ll try almost anything at least once, but I’m not feeling up to exhibitionism right now,” Jackson says as he pulls back from Jaebum, leaving just enough space for his words to come out clearly.

 

“You little punk,” Jaebum says affectionately before he steals another kiss. It’s not long before they’re walking through the parking garage and making their way to the lifts.

 

“Did one of the lights go out? It seems a bit dark in—”

 

_Thwack!_

 

“Oh shit, he’s bleeding. I think I hit him too hard. Oh God, do you think I killed him?”

 

“Jaebum!”

 

“Forget him, he’ll live. Now, come and help me with this one!”

 

“O-okay.”

 

“Get the fuck off me! Hey, I said—”

 

_Bam!_

 

“Come on, help me get him inside. And don’t forget the phone.”

 

“Right.”

 

“Jaebum…”

 

“Jackson,” he coughs as he watches the van pull away. It’s the last thing he sees.

 

 

 

 

Jaebum flinches at the sound of the gunshot, but soon realises that he doesn’t feel any pain. He turns around to see Jinyoung clutching his arm and shaking on the floor, a small pool of blood forming beneath him. Standing in the corner behind the door is a familiar-looking figure.

 

“Jaebum, how wonderful to see you,” Junho says perfectly pleasantly with dead eyes.

 

Jaebum looks at both Jackson and Jinyoung, quickly trying to evaluate who needs him more, but before he can do anything Junho raises the gun and points it at his chest. Jaebum takes an involuntary step back. Junho gestures for him to move and guides him until he’s right by the door again–away from Jackson and Jinyoung.

 

“Settle down, Jaebum. I didn’t kidnap your boyfriend and lure you all the way here just to shoot you. No, that would be ever so anti-climactic.”

 

Jaebum blinks in surprise as Junho tosses the gun away.

 

“No, I’m going to kill you with my bare hands. And you’d better hurry up and kill me too before your bodyguard bleeds out and/or your boyfriend stops breathing for good.”

 

“As if I needed any more reason to kill you!” Jaebum rages as he lunges at Junho.

 

Junho is a lot slimmer than Jaebum remembers him, but it soon becomes apparent that he hasn’t lost his strength with his bulk. Every blow Jaebum manages to get in also hurts him–punching Junho is like attacking a rock. And Jaebum may have gotten some rest, but he’s still got a lingering head injury. He sees stars when Junho manages to kick his feet out from underneath him and slams his head on the floor. Before Jaebum can catch a breath, it’s being squeezed out of him by a pair of clammy hands around his neck. Jaebum grabs at Junho’s hands, but he doesn’t have the strength to pull them off. Junho’s thumbs dig into his neck in retaliation. Jaebum tries to buck him to no effect. Junho has his legs pinned. Jaebum is just on the verge of passing out when Junho eases up his pressure.

 

“I didn’t wait three years to finish you off in three minutes,” Junho seethes before his hands squeeze Jaebum’s neck again. He repeats that, squeezing the breath out of Jabeum and letting him catch it before he squeezes it out again, until Jaebum is so dizzy he can hardly see.

 

“Jaebum-hyung!”

 

Jaebum blinks in shock at the sound of Yugyeom’s voice. He specifically told him to stay behind, but if he’s here he should help Jackson down before he suffocates. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to understand the situation.

 

“Get off Jaebum-hyung! Please, you’re killing him! You’ll kill him!  _Stop_!”

 

Even with the silencer, the gunshot still sounds loud in the small space—like a 600 page hardback textbook being hurled onto the ground from ten feet up. Three quieter thuds soon follow: the gun falling out of Yugyeom’s hands, Junho’s body slumping to the floor, and Yugyeom falling to his knees as he grabs at his hair. Jaebum wants to comfort him, but he’s got to get Jackson down first. He stumbles to his feet and pulls an old table right next to him before he severs the rope. Jackson crashes to the floor with a thud, but Jaebum can see his chest moving rapidly.

 

“It’s okay, I got you. It’s okay, you’re okay,” he mutters as he pulls Jackson into his arms. It’s a lie, but if Jabeum keeps repeating it then perhaps it might become true.

 

“Jaebum…” Jackson sobs as he buries his face in Jaebum’s chest and weakly grabs at his shirt.

 

“I’m sorry I took so long, but I’m here now. I’ve got you.”

 

“Is it over?” Bambam asks as he peers into the room.

 

“You’re a genius, right? Do you know how to treat a gunshot wound? Jinyoung, he—”

 

“On it!” With Bambam tending to Jinyoung, Jaebum focuses on Yugyeom.

 

“Come on, Jackson. Let’s go to Yugyeom.” Jackson stumbles forward until he gets in front of Yugyeom, who is still pulling at his hair. Jackson throws an arm around him, keeping one arm around Jaebum, and pulls them all in tightly.

 

“I’m sorry,” Yugyeom brokenly whimpers to Junho’s remains.

 

“I’m sorry,” Jackson whispers as he presses a kiss to Yugyeom’s forehead.

 

“I’m sorry,” Jaebum chokes out as he tightens his hold on both of them.

 

 

“Oh dear, what a mess. It’s going to be a real pain to cover your tracks,” Bambam says to himself as he looks around the room.

 

Previously, Jaebum would have to struggle with the urge to throw something at him for making a comment like that, but now he’s just too strung out to care.

 

“There must be fingerprints and DNA all over the place. Jackson and Yugyeom might not have samples on record to match, but I’m fairly certain you and Jinyoung might,” he says pointedly.

 

“So, what are you going to do? Burn the place down?” Jaebum asks, half-curious and half-sarcastic. Bambam just looks at him like a disappointed parent staring at a disappointing report card.

 

“I’m going to distort whatever traces you left behind, with this.” He pulls out yet another spray bottle from his pockets. Jaebum flinches a bit at the sight of it.

 

“You mean you just spray that and our fingerprints and DNA are gone?”

“Not so much ‘gone’ as ‘inadmissible in court’. The way I see it, trying to completely wipe away all evidence is too suspicious. Better to make it too contaminated for it to be of any use,” Bambam says airily.

 

“You scare me,” Jaebum says plainly.

 

Bambam just grins and gets spraying the walls and floors. Jaebum leaves him to that and goes back to the car to check on the others. On the way, he passes the two men from earlier; they’re bound and gagged and fast asleep. Jaebum simultaneously pities them and envies them. 

 

“How’s everyone holding up?” he asks Jinyoung, who is propped up in the passenger seat with his arm bandaged up in a sling.

 

“I’m probably anaemic from blood loss and I can’t feel my arm, Yugyeom’s still in shock, and I’m no psychiatrist, but Jackson seems to be showing signs of PTSD. Other than all that, the biggest, imminent threat to our well-being is the fact that you’ll have to drive us back to Seoul,” Jinyoung smiles slightly. Jaebum returns the smile.

 

“Well, that’s that,” Bambam says as he comes out of the house and joins them by the car. “It’s been fun, but now it’s time we part ways.”

 

Jaebum blinks as he notices that he’s still decked out in his costume, fake belly and all.

 

“Yugyeom, you did what you had to do. Don’t let this change you,” Bambam says sounding more serious than he has all day. Bambam strokes his hair and kisses his cheek, but Yugyeom doesn’t react.

 

“Jer gun!” Bambam calls out over his shoulder before he disappears.

 

“Alright, the sun is rising, let’s not linger any longer,” Jaebum mutters as he gets in the driver’s set and sets the sat-nav for Yugyeom’s apartment. Silence reigns in the car for a long time, until Jaebum can’t take it anymore and breaks it.

 

“Hey, Jackson, is Yugyeom still in shock or has he fallen asleep?”

 

“Asleep,” Jackson says quietly from the backseat. “What about Jinyoung?”

 

“The same. It could be from exhaustion or blood loss or both.”

 

Silence descends again. Jaebum wants to feel glad that his little family unit is still intact, if just barely, but they had to go through so much to get to this point that he can only feel numb.

 

“I know I balked when you suggested we move to Busan when you first went legit, but I think I won’t feel safe until I’ve left the country entirely,” Jackson’s small voice floats out from behind him.

 

“You can go and never have to see me again, if you want. I wouldn’t be surprised,” Jaebum says through the lump in his throat.

 

“Stop the car.”

 

Jaebum blinks in surprise, but does as he’s told. He barely gets to pull over to the shoulder and put the car in park before his face is knocked sideways. He touches his cheek in shock as he turns around to look at Jackson.

 

“Never say that to me again.” Jackson looked and sounded just as numb as Jaebum felt ten seconds ago, but now his eyes are bright and he’s practically vibrating in his seat. “Don’t you ever say those words to me ever again, Im Jaebum!”

 

Jaebum nods dumbly and then Jackson is clambering over the gear shift, into his lap, clinging to his shirt. It aggravates wounds for both of them, but neither care as they wrap their arms around each other.

 

“Come with me to Hong Kong,” Jackson somehow manages to make it sound like a request and a demand at the same time.

 

“I will,” Jaebum vows into his hair.

 

They’re not able to leave immediately despite how much they both want to. Aside from having injuries to tend to, Jaebum has to give two weeks’ notice for his job, and Jackson has to sell the studio. Jaebum asks Jinyoung if he wants to come with them, but he declines the offer.

 

“I can’t, not while my grandmother is still alive at least. Don’t worry about me while we’re apart,” Jinyoung says with a wink. “I’ll see you later, Leader.”

 

They don’t encounter anymore trouble for the rest of their time in the country, but it’s not until the plane takes off, putting thousands of kilometres between them and South Korea that Jackson and Jaebum are able to stop looking anxiously over their shoulders. An air hostess is on the intercom, telling them to fast their seatbelts, put up their tray tables and return their seats to their upright position in preparation for landing at Hong Kong International Airport, when Jackson holds his hand out across Yugyeom’s seat in the middle.

 

“Fresh start?”

 

Jaebum takes his hand and laces their fingers together, taking care not to wake the young man dozing on his shoulder.

 

“Fresh start.”

 


End file.
